2011 Rewind Part 3

OK, I totally have t get caught up on this blog so I will feel inspired to share what is going now.  I guess my push to get done stems from Savannah going to prom this weekend, and I know I will want to share pictures.

Here we go:

Last summer we were also able to go to the Johnson's for a visit.  Thanks again for letting us come stay with you and go to the beach.  The kids loved being lazy beach bums.

The girls

Zachary - always in the water

Zachary and his jenga tower as tall as he is

4th of July

Grandpa's band entertained us all.  We had a good time leading up to the fireworks.

We have to include our family fun at Rio Verde ( our favorite place)

I was there, just the one taking pictures.  With all the weight I gained from my slow thyroid, I don't mind not being in the pictures.

Girls Camp

Savannah got to climb the wall. 

While Savannah and I were a camp, Kyle had to take Brinkley to the vet for kidney stone surgery.  That was fun.  Now he is on a special diet and is still taking medication to keep the kidney stones away.

I got the oil changed on my car and I think they were doing some updates or recall work on it, so they offered me a rental for the day since they were out of cars from the dealership.  Zachary loved my rental.

  August 11 First Day of School

Zachary can never keeps his eyes open for pictures when he is outside.

Hannah moves into her apartment for a new school year

Dad took Hannah out to school this year to move her in.  He sent me pictures of her apartment so I could see where she would be living.  He also showed me that he had taken her grocery shopping and had stocked her kitchen, so I wouldn't worry about her having food to eat.

Zachary got braces

 before

after

Savannah turned 16

 She wanted a Scooby Doo party

 She got a Perry the Platypus from Zachary.  She was very happy and surprised.  She got lots of opening presents help from her cousins.

 Talking to Hannah

 Ready for Homecoming

Her birthday was on homecoming, so we had the family over for cake on Thursday night, homecoming on Friday night, and she had her friends party on Saturday night.

Some of her friends at her party.  I forgot to get more pictures.  She also got her license, but I have already posted that.

Mom and Dad Celebrate 40 years

We (my brothers and sisters) threw a surprise anniversary party for mom and dad.  I told them they needed to come to a grandparent appreciation night and get their picture taken with Savannah and then they could leave to celebrate their anniversary.

In November, all of the girls in the family that were in town went to see Wicked.  Last time we did this, we went to see the Nutcracker and all the girls were able to be there.  That was definitely better.  We will have to shoot for that again sometime.

 This is the only picture we could take inside

the guys got us a limo so we wouldn't have to deal with the occupy wall street protesters and the rain.

I went to the doctor  in November and they finally have my thyroid levels normal.  It takes a while to feel normal and to recover from the exhaustion, but i am getting there and now that it is April, a year after the radiation, I am happy to finally be losing the weight I gained.  I've got a long way to go, but at least I'm losing.

Christmas

 It couldn't be Christmas without our lights going out on our tree.  Again!

the traditional Christmas morning picture

Well that wraps up 2011. 

 I am finally caught up and ready to post things for this year.  YES!

2011 Rewind Part 2 (June)

Aunt Carrie and sweet baby P came for Grandmama's funeral.  Zachary held P ( he doesn't normally hold babies)  He loved it.  Savannah loved it too.  She was excited that P liked her.

We took the kids to NYC for the first time.

We Went to Gray's Papaya for the best hot dog ever.

Riding the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty

Top of The Rock

Finally one with everyone looking

(the sun wasn't that bright)

We took in a Yankees Game

The park  at the end of the movie You've Got Mail

Hannah at the Shakespeare Garden in Central Park

Bethesda Fountain in Central Park

Zachary loved the cannons outside of Grant's Tomb

Savannah taking pictures of the squirrels.  She thought they were "so cute"(said with a baby talk voice)

Waiting for the subway

The kids loved riding on the subway

Hannah in subway jail.  She could never figure that gate out.  She kept getting stuck.

we took the kids to Trinity Church where National Treasure was filmed

Wall Street

Cafe Lalo from You've Got Mail

We also took the kids to FAO Schwarz (for Zachary) and Tiffany's and Sephora (for the girls)

I still have more to post for June, but that covers our trip to NYC.

2011 Rewind Part 1 (May) - Better Late Than Never

In May Zachary turned 12.  He got to skip school that day.  He got a bike and spent the day riding his bike.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  He had a blast.

Zachary liked the cheesecake from Hannah's birthday and decided that was what he wanted as well.  We had family over who shared in the cheesecake eating.  Zachary got money and nerf guns.

Zachary also received the Aaronic Priesthood ordained as a Deacon on May 22.   He was ready to pass the sacrament.( talked about being able to do that months before) We didn't get pictures.  Zachary was so excited to become a deacon. He didn't want to miss his first class in the Deacons quorum to take pictures and everyone had to get to their wards. Grandpa, Grandaddy, Uncle John, Uncle Christopher, Bishop Lifferth, brother Drake and brother Lambert stood in with his dad to ordain him.  I was there as well as Gran, Aunt Keaven, Taylor, Maddie, Isaac, and Cole.

May 28- Savannah had her dance recital at TPAC.  She danced three dances- Lyrical, Jazz, and Hip Hop.  She got to get ready for each dance where the TPAC performers and Dancers get ready.  It was really cool.  They ran the show on audio so we could follow along in the dressing room and have the girls upstairs on stage at the right time.

Getting ready for her first dance and texting her friends from church.

Savannah in her costume for her first dance- Lyrical

Savannah ready for her second dance- Jazz

Savannah in her hip hop costume

More behind the scenes 

texting

Savannah ready for the final dance- Unmask the Night.  Making her Uncle John face.

Hit By A Deer

On Saturday night, Kyle and I were out shopping.  On the way home we got hit by a deer. Yep, that's right, we didn't hit a deer, the deer hit us.  We are okay, but the truck isn't.  Kyle refers to the deer as Bambi's daddy on steroids.  I think he is right.  That deer was huge.

Here is the truck:

We thought we would have to call to have him picked up out of the road.  Kyle looked for him, but there were some woods close by that he ran into.  He was so big, maybe all he got was a bloody nose.  I am just glad we were in the truck.  It would have totaled my car.  I am also glad Kyle was driving, because I would have slammed my brakes.  Kyle sped up which was good,  otherwise the deer would have gone through the window.  Kyle's truck (which the kids call his baby) is now off to be repaired.

My Love of Online Shopping

I love online shopping.  No crowds and I can shop in my pj's. Seeing the story on the news of the crazy lady that pepper sprayed people in line at Walmart so she could get the XBox she had been waiting in line for, further made me appreciate online shopping. People are crazy out there!  I just don't have the patience for it.  It totally ruins the loving peacefully feeling that comes with Christmas.

 One of my favorites is Amazon.  The customer service is great, they have great prices, a huge selection, and I usually don't have to pay shipping thanks to super saver shipping.

Everybody else can have all the Black Friday they want.  I want no part of it.  All though I have to say I am not really a fan of Cyber Monday either.  The sites crash.  I like to shop in that little window of time (after all the crazy) when online retailers (Amazon) offer better deals and free shipping.

Just my thoughts as this is my life right now. (Christmas shopping in December)  One day I will be done with shopping before Thanksgiving.  Until then, I am thankful I can shop online.